Method of uniting parts of boots and shoes



ay 21, 1929. F. N. LA CHAPELLE 1,713,533

METHOD OF UNITING PARTS OF BOOTS AND SHOES Original Filed Jan. '7. 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MayZl, 1929 F. N. LA CHAPELLE A METHOD OF UNITING PARTS OF BOOTS AND SHOES Original Filed Jan.

'7. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED N. LA CHAPELLE, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF UNITING PARTS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

Application filed January 7, 1920, Serial No. 468,305. Renewed May 10,1921.

This invention relates to methods of uniting parts made of leather or similar materials and is herein set forth with special reference to its practice in the formation of seams for uniting together parts made of heavy leather such, for example, as that employed in the manufacture of moccasins,

- larrigans, and the like.

In an article of footwear of this type the sole and sides are commonly made with a single piece of leather and the toe piece is secured to the upturned margin of the sides about the toe portion to form an enclosure for the toe portion of the foot, and generally a top piece is sewed to the margin of the sides about the rear portion to form a. covering for the instep and ankle of the foot.

Hitherto the formation of the seam bethe previously extensively practiced hand work may be obtained.

though the present method is preeminently adapted for sewing parts of moccasins, it is not limited to that use but may be employed in making other seams in other articles.

As herein exemplified illustratively, the method of the present invention may advantageously be practiced by first trimming the edges of the parts to be joined even and forming a groove at a predetermined short distance from the trimmed edge, preferably on the inner or flesh side of the margin of each piece to be joined. Hereafter the term "mar-gin 'will refer to the portion between the groove and the edge when a groove is employed, the portion inside the groove or beyond the line at which the margins are turned outwardly being called the body portion. When the grooves are used the margins are placed together with their edges 'in the angles between the margin an It. is to be understood, however, that al-' flush and, of course, with the grooves parallel and opposite to each other, preferably 'onthe inside. The margins may then be temporarily secured together, for instance, by staples of fine wire. This enables the parts, 1f a shoe is being made, to be placed upon a last for subsequent operations. The p acing ofthe parts upon a last disposes the ody portions at more or less of an angle to each other varying at different portions of the shoe, for instance, at the toe the angle between the toe piece and the sides is substantially a right angle while at the heel the top piece and sides are more nearly in the same plane.

Prefera ly pressure will then be ap lied the body portions to cause the grooves to be transferred from the inside to the outside of the work. This may be done, for instance, by runnin a pair of rolls along in said angles while pressing them toward each other or the transferring of the grooves may be effected step b step during the sewing operation which f bllows. Dunn the sewing, members apply ressure in t e grooves, if previously forme and if not they progressively transfer the grooves from the inside to the outside and securely hold the parts together at a given point in the grooves. While the members are holding the upper clamped at a given point a stitch is.formed to secure the body portions together. The members are then released and the work fed the length of the stitch, whereupon the members again hold the work and another stitch is formed. The sewin is preferably done by a curved needle w ich passes in at the base of one groove and out at the base of another, the stitches appearing on the body portion adjacent to the groove and being invisible on the inner side of the work. The feedin of the work between the stitches is pre erably effected by intermittently moving the presser members thelength of a stitch in the direction of the seam. After the sewing operation the margins are trimmed away along a line located at the narrowest part of the substance bea point adjacent to the angle of one part.

through the body portion of that part,

through the meeting surfaces of the parts,

'throughthe body ortion of the other part,

and out to the sur ace of the other part adjacent to the an le of that part.

The thread 0 the seam thus formed is substantially invisible on the inner side of the work, being embedded for the most part including the lock of the stitch, if a lockstitclr is used, in the body portion and appearing on the outer face of the welt in two Ines running parallel with the meeting surfaces of the parts. It will be seen that the seam passes below the engaging surfaces of the margin, so that the thread tension draws the surfaces together into close relation, and that the seam is formed below the plane of the upper or outer surfaces of the two parts of the material and also .below the portion clamped or grip ed substantially without emerging from t e inner surfaces of the parts.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view showing the operation of formmg the be united;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the margins of the two grooved parts temporarily secured together;

' Fig. 3 is a view showing one method of transferring the rooves from the inside to the outside of t e work;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the members for clamping the work in the grooves and for holding and feeding the work;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4.- showing the clamping members in clamping position and the needle about to form a stitch;

Fig. 6 is a view showin the parts as they appear after being unite by a seam;

Fig. 7 illustrates the operation of trim ining away the excess portion of the mar- THIS;

5 Fig. 8 illustrates the operation of rubhing down the seam; and

groove in one of the pieces to Fig. 9 is a view showing a portion ofa moccasin sewed by the practice of the method of the present invention.

in the practice of themethod of the present invention the parts to be united by seam are first prepared and shaped. If, fer example, the rnethed te he used in till grooves from the inside to the en...

sewing moccasins, the part 2 (Fig. 9) which .5 forms the bottom and sides of the moccasin is first molded or otherwise shaped to correspond tothe side and bottom portions of the last and a toe piece 4 of suitable shape is prepared which is slightly larger than is actually required. A top piece 6 will also be cut in the usual manner with a slight excess along its lower edge. The side and bottom portion 2, during the shaping operation to which it is subjected, will usually be stretched enough to provide the excess margin. The edges of the parts to be united are trimmed even and are grooved, referably on their inner faces, at a pre etermined distance from their edges by a knife 8 in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the grooves representing approximately the location of the seam. The parts are then brought together with the groove 10 in one part facing the groove 12 in the other part (Fig. 2) and the margins are then preferably temporarily secured together, for instance, by light wire sta les 14; M

n the case of 'a msccnsih, the parts are thus held together in roper relation and may be supported on a ast which they will fit rather loosely because the temporary fastenings 14 are outside of the line where the stitches are to be made. In placing the parts, which-may now be referredto collectively as the shoe, upon thelast, the body portion of the side 2 and the body portion of the top piece 6-will be brought substantially into the same plane, their respective portions of the parts substantially in the same plane. Either before or after the shoe is placed upon a last the step of transferring the grooves from the inside to the outside of the work may be performed. As shown in Fig. 3, this may be done by running the parts between a pair of pressure rolls 20. 22 which press upon the opposite faces of the work at the line between the 15 ain and the body portion that is at the ened line formed by the grooves 10, 1%.. 1 e pe riphery of the'rolls is formed to a sl'iapecor responding to a cross-section of the rooves and their action results in transfer err the lurlr: the work. In this way the grooves I on the flesh side of the leather ar" ferred to the grain side while at it time the surface of the leather of side is left intact. The use of a however, be omitted, the step out tram 1 the. grooves or forming a groove in the grain tact, being left to be As shown in Fig. 4, pressing members 30,,

32 .have their ends formed to correspond to the shape of the grooves already formed by the rolls orleft to be formed by the members. These members 30, 32 are operated relatively to seize the stock which, of course,

results in transferring the grooves at a given point from the inside to the outside of the.

work if they have not already been transferred. With the parts thus held (Fig. 5)

a needle 36 enters'at 38near the edge of one groove and,-following the dotted line, emerges at near the edge of the other groove. The needle then withdraws and the members 30, 32 are moved to feed the work. Preferably, however, the members 30, 32 are released and moved away from the needle while the needle is in the work, then grip to hold the work while the needle is withdrawn, and then move to feed the work toward the needle and hold the work clamped adjacent to the needle during the passage of the needle into the work.

After the'seam has been sewed, which, in the case of the moccasin, is a continuous one extending entirely around the peripheral edge of the portion 2, the margins are trimmed off. This, as shown in Fig. 7 may be done with a blade 42 which preferably has a V-shaped cuttingend. The trimming cut is made through the narrowest portion of the substance between the grooves and the elevated portion at the juncture of the two arts is preferably rubbed substantially flat liy a tool such as shown at 44 which closes the joint between the parts and finishes the raw surfaces left by the trimming knife.

The result is a close, flatseam, as shown by Fig. 9, having the appearance and all the desirable qualities of the best hand work and being in some respects superior.

It will be apparent that the utilization of the method in certain of its as ects does not require the parts to be provide with grooved margins and that the marginal portions may be simply upturned to provide surfaces which may be brought together. These upturned margins are brought together by pressure members such as 30, 32, and since the stitch is formed below the line of initial contact, and, in fact, near the last supported .surfaces' of the body portion, the tightening of the stitch will draw the parts together and cause contact of the margins of the body portions so that they will be united with a tight joint,- the stitches being substantially hidden in the-work exce t along lines parallel to the joint along t e outer face of the work.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of uniting leather parts which consists in grooving the parts, placing the parts face to face with the grooves parallel and opposite, holding the parts by pressure applied at the grooves, uniting the parts, by; stitches, and trimming away the: excess of "material outside of the stitches.

2. That improvement in methods of uniting the edges of leather parts which consists informing grooves in one side of each part adjacent to thesewing line, disposing the parts with the grooves parallel and opposite,

securing the parts together outside the grooves, then securing the body portions together inside the grooves, and trimming away the portions secured together outside the grooves.

3. That improvement in methods of uniting the edges of shoe parts which consists in grooving the parts, disposing the parts with their grooved sidesin contact, securing the margins together, disposing the body portions of the parts at an angle to each other,

pressing the parts together by pressure applied to the outside of the marginsopposite to the grooves, securing the parts by stitches to the body portions adjacent to'the grooves, and trimming away the margins outside the stitches. i

4. That improvement in methods of uniting the marginal portions of leather parts which consists in grooving the marginal portions of the parts near their edges, placing the margins together with the grooves facing each other, holding the parts together by pressure on the outside opposite to the grooves, and securing the parts by fastenings extending from a point ad acent to the groove in one part to a point adjacent to the groove in the other part.

5. 'lhatimprovement in methods of uniting the edge portions of leather shoe parts which consists in-grooving the ed e portions of the parts near their edges, app ying pressure in the grooves to hold the parts together, and stitching the parts together by stitches located in the body portions of the parts.

6'. That improvement in methods of unit ing leather parts which consists in grooving the parts, placing the parts face to face with the grooves parallel and opposite, holding the parts by pressure applied at the grooves, uniting the parts by stitches located beyond the grooves toward the body portions of the parts, and trimming away the excess portion outside of the stitches.

7. That improvement in methods of unit: ing the edges of leather parts which consists in preparing the parts, forming grooves in one side of each part at a short distance from its edge, disposing the parts with the grooves parallel and opposite, temporarily securing portions of the margins to ether, then securing the body portions together in.- side the grooves while using the margins to hold the work, and then trimming away the marginal portions first secured together.

8. That improvement in methodsof uniting the edges of shoe parts which consists in grooving the parts, disposing the parts with their grooved sides in contact, securing the margins together, disposing the body portions of the parts at an angle to each other, pressing the parts together by pressure applied to the outside of the margins opposite to. the grooves, securing the parts by stitches in the body portions adjacent to the grooves while positioning the parts for sewing by holding the margins at the grooves, and trimming away the margins at the grooves. 7

9. That improvement in methods of uniting the marginal portions of leather parts which consists in grooving the marginal portions of the parts at a redetermined dis tance from their edges, p acing the margins together with the grooves facing each other, temporarily securing the margins together outside the grooves, holding the parts togetherby pressure onthe outside opposite to the rooves and'securing the parts permanent y by fastenings extending from a point adjacent to the groove in one art to a ill) point. ad'acent to the groove in t e other part, an then trimming away the temporarily secured margin.

10. That improvement in methods of uniting the edge portions of leather shoe parts which consists in grooving the edge portions ofthe parts at a predetermined distance from their edges, temporarily securing the edge portions together, disposin the body portions of the-parts at an ange to each other, applying 'ressure in the grooves to hold the parts together, stitching the arts together by stitches entering toward the ody of the part from one groove and emerging toward the body of the'part fromthe other groove, and trimming away the margins beyond the stitches including the temporary fastenings.

11. That improvement in methods of uniting the marginal portions of leather shoe parts which consists in grooving the inner margins of the parts at a predetermined distance from the edges, placing the parts together with the grooves parallel and adjacent to each other, temporarily securing the parts together outside of the grooves, applying pressure from the outside inwardly opposite to the grooves to cause the grooves to be transferred from the inner side to the outside of the work, sewing the parts together by stitches located inside the work relatively to the grooves, and then trimming away the marginal portion at the narrowest Part.

12. That improvement in methods of unit ing the marginal portions ofleather shoe ing the marginal portions of leather shoe parts which consists in grooving the inner margins of the parts, placing the parts together with the grooves parallel and facing each other, temporarily securing the margins together', transferring the grooves from the inner side to the outside of the work, sewing the parts together by stitches located in the body portions, trimming away the marginal portions, and rubbing down the surfaces formed by the trimming operation.

14. That improvement in methods of unit ing shoe parts of leather or like material, which consists in bending the margins of the parts at an angle to the body portion, gripping the margins to prevent relative movement, and uniting the parts by stitches formed in the body portions below the upturned margins and arranged to enter and emerge from the material on the same side of the two parts and to be otherwise substantially hidden in said material.

15. That improvement in methods of unit ing shoe parts which consists in supporting the inner surface of the body portions of the parts in the same plane, upturning the margins at an angle to the body portion, bringing the margins into contact, and securing the body portions together by stitches passing from a face of one body portion through the substance of the bod portion to a similar face of the other he y portion, all parts of the stitches being outside of the lane of the supported inner surfaces of t e body portions.

16. That improvement in methods of unit ing shoe parts which consists in upturning the margins of the arts to be united and placing the upturned margins in 0 position, supporting the inner faces of the tions, bringing the margins together, passin a needle from the outer surface of one part below the meeting margins to a similar int on the outer surface of the other art, orming and setting a stitch to cause t e upturned margins to be secured together, and continuing the stitch forming operation to form a seam between the parts.

17. That improvement in methods of,

uniting leather parts which consists in forming the parts with upturned margins to be secured in contacting relation, supporting one surface of the body portion of each part 5 applying pressure to the opposite faces 0 the body portions adjacent to their margins to hold the margins against each other, and drawing the margins into complete contactabove the supported faces of the parts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED N. LA CHAPELLE. 

